Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1953 NO. 161 >
JUSTICE COURT'S JURISDICTION ‑- EXCLUSIVE OR CONCURRENT WITH SUPERIOR COURTS Justice courts and superior courts have concurrent jurisdiction of cases involving $300 and less.  In cities of over 20,000 population where the justice of the peace is also the police judge, he may, under RCW 3.16.
AGO 1953 NO. 162 >
LOCAL IMPROVEMENT GUARANTY FUND A city may exceed the 15 mill limitation provided in RCW 84.52.050 for a local improvement guaranty fund within RCW 35.54.060, without a vote providing the 40 mill constitutional limitation upon counties is not exceeded.  Recomputation shall be made by county
AGO 1953 NO. 163 >
MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES ‑- SALARY ‑- INCREASE AFTER ADOPTION OF FINAL BUDGET -- CITIES OF FIRST CLASS City council cannot authorize salary increase for municipal employees after adoption of final budget unless real emergency exists.  (See opinion, Auditor's Office, 8/11/49). City employee's
AGO 1953 NO. 164 >
COUNTIES ‑- CONTRACTS ‑- PROPERTY ‑- SALE OF CRUSHED ROCK A county has no power to sell crushed rock to private parties other than as provided by RCW 36.82.110 or 36.82.100.                     
AGO 1953 NO. 165 >
COUNTIES ‑- HOSPITALS ‑- ESTABLISHMENT OF RATES BY PUBLIC HOSPITAL DISTRICTS Commissioners of public hospital districts may establish rates to be charged for hospital rooms and medical care, but these rates are not controlling upon the state department of health since services rendered for this
AGO 1953 NO. 166 >
CEMETERIES ‑- JURISDICTION OF CEMETERY BOARD ‑- DEPOSIT REQUIRED FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF ENDOWMENT CARE SECTIONS IN PREVIOUSLY NON-ENDOWED CEMETERIES 1. Cemetery board has jurisdiction over non-endowed cemeteries in the state larger than ten acres and not excluded by section 30, chapter 290, Laws of
AGO 1953 NO. 167 >
MOTOR VEHICLES ‑- OPERATOR'S EVIDENCE OF SPEED VIOLATION ‑- USE OF RADAR A radar instrument known as an Electro-Matic Radar Speed Meter is not a "speed trap" within the meaning of RCW 46.48.120.  Consequently, evidence of speed violations secured by the use of such device is legally
AGO 1953 NO. 168 >
CONTRACTOR'S BOND ‑- HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION ‑- LEGALITY OF BLANKET BOND Blanket contractor's bond for highway construction contracts under $15,000, as detailed in opinion, would satisfy statutory requirements.                
AGO 1953 NO. 169 >
PER DIEM RATES IN LIEU OF SUBSISTENCE AND LODGING ‑- LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ‑- COLUMBIA BASIN COMMISSION ‑- HIGHWAY COMMISSION ‑- WASHINGTON STATE POWER COMMISSION With respect to the Legislative Council, Columbia Basin Commission, Highway Commission and Washington State Power Commission, the "per
AGO 1953 NO. 170 >
CITIES ‑- BUDGETS ‑- AMEND OR MODIFICATION OF BUDGET ORDINANCE AFTER FINAL PASSAGE The Bellingham budget ordinance for 1954 was duly enacted at the end of the budget hearing notwithstanding the fact that the ordinance was passed at the same meeting at which it was first introduced and the city